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[rnmom]

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@Fifi1 wrote:

THank you for beginning the new thread! I joined sometime in 2020!

I go in waves of purging and organizing.  thought being off 2 weeks over the Christmas holiday I would do a lot in house, as our area is in 'lockdown' for restuarants, and many acitivites we would normally have fun doing.  NO, I didn't toss anything!  I'm back to work tomorrow and trying to organize my home office area and planner to get ready for work in the morning!  Maybe that counts today as orgnanizing! 

Happy New Year!

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@Fifi1 - Happy New Year!

I too am the queen of good intentions! Organizing your home office area definitely counts! Anything that makes your home more functional and a place you like to be counts! The tossing will come when you have time and motivation!

[rnmom]

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@KBEANS wrote:

I have been decluttering a little at a time, and discard something (s) everyday. I work hard to keep this under control. Thankfully, I do an acceptable job at it. I get anxious sometimes, because I grew up in a home I feel had too much stuff and a lot of unnecessary paper hanging around. I've always prided myself on the fact that I could discard things. Recently, I've had a loss in my family and I am finding it hard to do it, as I had in the past. I keep telling myself that I've lost the most important person, and the belongings shouldn't matter; but they do. Maybe in time I'll be able to do this but it's still raw and I can't imagine these personal things in possession of others; especially strangers. I know this is a very common response in grief; and one day at a time, I'm hoping to be able to move forward, to a place when I'll be comfortable enough to do this. So for the time being I am still discarding things of mine that I feel are unnecessary. I am also trying to scale down on the purchase of clothing and accessories. I go through my toiletry closet at least 2x a month and purge. On a regular basis, I scale down my wardrobe if it's not in tip top shape. Recently, I've been keeping some clothes to wear at home, that I normally would have flung; but because I'm inside a lot I've been wearing them. I also go around when I'm dusting and cleaning and discard little items and trinkets that I'm sick of. I try to do this frequently. I always keep my shredding current, and I get rid of magazines and catalogs, soon after I'm done browsing or reading them. I'd like to be part of this group and possibly get tips from you guys; as well as share some of mine with you. Happy New Year.

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@KBEANS - Welcome so much to the group and thanks for posting! We love reading how others do things and getting tips from each other, that's awesome! Please continue to contribute as you can!

I am so sorry to hear of your great loss and you are right, there is absolutely no time line in which you need to get rid of the other person's belongings. If you can maintain your items like you always have, and it sounds like you already do a great job with that, the other things will come when you are ready. Everyone has their own time line and don't feel like you need to rush. It will happen when it happens. 

[rnmom]

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@bonnielu wrote:

I am having a hard time.  Sentimental I guess.  But a few things at a time still count in my case.  

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@bonnielu - Yes, everything counts! Especially sentimental items, they are definitely the most difficult!

[rnmom]

I've been puttering in the master bath, closet, bedroom the last week or so and I'm not finding much to go, but a few small items are finding their way out of the house.

Added to donate: a bracelet, a watch band, a seashell (this was actually in my son's room, I was going to keep it but decided not to), 2 t-shirts and 2 fabric belts. Also a small white dry erase board that was in with my kids school supplies.

Tossed: 2 of hubby's t-shirts, a really dirty ball cap and a pair of socks. Also recycled a magazine and tossed a ripped up loofa. 

[AnikaBrodie]

I got some new cookware and donated the old (in good condition).  Also donated DHs lined pants (too small) and several shirts.  Got air fryer and I'm considering donating extra crockpot.

[queendiva]

Thank you to each and every poster on this thread. Even those who think they are struggling with their purge efforts provide motivation to stay the course of purging.

Some, like myself, are a single person household. I have been there with those of you who are purging for yourselves and to provide a comfortable, functional home for your spouses and/ or families. We have only been at it for a few days this year and it appears we are off to a good start. Keep at it!

Alternately cleaning and purging. The weather has been gray and dreary for the past several days. That, along with the cold of January, have kept me indoors working around my home. As a result of lockdown last spring and the purging that took place at that time I am in a more "maintenance" mode, but still finding plenty to purge. As I do every January, I am re-reading my paperback copy of Peter Walsh's, "It's All Too Much" in the evenings in order to remind myself of how and why I need to declutter.

For myself, I have found that I am most energetic in the morning, so that is when I go after a closet, cabinet or even just a drawer or two. In addition, I schedule time daily for purging, even if it's just 20 minutes. At this moment my small home looks good. Too bad no one will be visiting anytime soon, LOL! The cluttered places are the usual: basement and my constant nemesis-the garage, which will have to wait for warmer weather.

Yesterday: a little bit in several rooms- even thinned out the overflowing basket of dog toys. Today I plan to go through the kitchen junk drawer and the 3 small shelves in my primary bedroom closet. Still feeding the trash and recycling bins like crazy. I can't wait for Friday, when all the boxes and large trash bag of Christmas gift wrap will finally move out of the garage to be picked up for recycling.

I have also been going through my clipped recipes every afternoon. I do like the idea of creating binders for different categories. I plan to pick up a few binders and clear sleeves when I go to WM later today.

My greatest struggle with keeping a neat and functional home is in organizing effectively. My brain just does not operate well in that regard.

[ALRATIBA]

I'm in the midst of a major purge!

I'm cleaning out all old financial, legal and misc. papers and documents that  no longer need.  I've filled two large bags with paper shreds and still have a pile to go.  Maybe two more bags full.

When I'm done with this - my next target is my yarn stash.  I don't plan on purging much, just reorganizing.  The storage containers I ordered came on Monday - should start early next week.

[queendiva]

Wow. Had to run back here and post. Besides the obvious benefit of less (or no) clutter, sometimes purging yields a good surprise or two.

Completed the kitchen junk drawer purge and moved on the the 3 small shelves in my closet. Looking disorganized, for sure. One of the first things I did with this house and my previous house was to have a local family-owned company come in and install custom closets in an effort to keep that area neat and organized. Apparently I have not gone through those shelves since moving in September, 2018. The things I found amid the chaos in boxes included several pieces of gold jewelry that I was planning to sell, several really nice candles- new and unopened,a small diamond necklace I searched all over to give to my Goddaughter for her Sweet 16 (she will get it for 17!) and the mother lode: my favorite $$$ perfume that DS bought me for Christmas two years ago! It is hard to find, harder to find at discount- I looked online while Christmas shopping.

Made my day! Pulled out a few things to drop at Restore tomorrow and two items to donate to another charity shop this week. Found info that the buyer of my previous home was looking for. I did not retain his number in my new phone, so I will pop it in the mail to him rather than text the info. 

Continued to feed the trash and recycling. This was probably the only area in my house that has not been touched since moving in. I guess I thought it was not so bad? Or that it was inside the mostly neat closet?

I wonder what other surprises await. Certainly have renewed motivation to continue the purge!

[ALRATIBA]

Just counted 15 desk draws that need to be gone through. 

Then the bottom shelves on three bookcases.

Then - the "linen" closet which contains very little linen, but lots of other stuff.

I expect to be busy until early March!   

(and that's not even counting kitchen under-the-counter cabinets!)

[Snoopp]

I went through a few shelves where I keep vitamins and meds and got rid of a ton of meds at the drop off box at the police station.  I also tossed a bunch of other things like old tea bags and some expired vitamins.  The shelves have more room now and it's better.  

Also donated a huge amount of dog food and bedding to a local shelter.  

I'm pretty slow with purging so this is quite good for me so far in 2021.